Hello Spellers, I was invited to write a blogpost for the I-ASC community and am happy for that opportunity. I decided to chat about why it is important to set big goals for ourselves and at the same time to be patient with our progress.
When I first started learning how to type, it was very exciting because finally, I had a way to get fifteen years of thoughts out of my mind. There was a lot of built-up anger and frustration in there too. I wanted it all to spill out like a broken dam. But, unfortunately, like for most of us, it didn’t happen like that. I learned RPM with Soma but could only meet once or twice a month and couldn’t generalize the process at home. That was like mini torture in my mind. It was so hard to wait for those appointments.
I just wanted to type. I’m sure some of you understand this too.
I vowed that if I ever got to the point of independent expression, I would never shut up. I promised I would advocate for others who like me, are trapped in their bodies and no one knew how smart they were. Well, I’m still not independent in typing although that is my goal and I’ve started back with S2C to get there. But I decided that I don’t have to be perfect to make an impact. I use my current skills to write about my experience so that maybe it will help others, too.
Some of you may have read my novel, I Never Get Lost in the Woods. The main character, Sandra, figured out how to type on her own and communicated an important message immediately afterwards. Well, that is a fictional story and although it doesn’t seem impossible, is certainly not how it works for most of us. A multi-year or -decade process would not have made for a very exciting story. 
Most of our journeys are slow and not exciting. But we can still get to our desired destinations if we keep moving forward one step at a time. You have to move though. Make a big goal. Think about what you really want to accomplish with your life. Then break it into a thousand little steps to get there. It might feel painfully slow as you are going through it but when you look back you can relish in your accomplishments. One of my hobbies is climbing big mountains. It might take us all day but it is so rewarding to be on the summit and see how far you traveled. Love the journey. It’s not easy but it’s worth it.
About the Author
I am 26 years old at the time I am writing this. I was formally diagnosed with autism at age 3. My parents tell me that I started regressing and showing signs of it during my third year of life. I do have some verbal language but nothing very conversational. I can express basic things. I have a lot of phrases that I repeat (echolalia) to help me relieve anxiety. I have some repetitive behavior patterns, but not as many as I used to. I do like to pace, and I have a need to skip through my house to release energy. If any of you were to meet me in person, you would not doubt for a second that my diagnosis is accurate.
Life was challenging for me because I knew that I was different, and I could see how other kids were progressing in a natural way without the kind of effort that I was putting in. I was intensely jealous of that. It got much worse as I got older and reached its peak during my teenage years. I was very unhappy and felt despair about my future. But, thanks to my Father in Heaven and the persistence of my parents, I found a way to communicate my true self, and that saved me.
Communication is a critical part of being human or at least feeling like one. So, I am determined to continue improving in that area. It has given me confidence to succeed in other areas of life, too. I love setting hard goals and working to achieve them.
